The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-09-20
In Common Council.
Absent, Messrs. Sylvester and Adams

hOoShbs 4hCocic. DylttoItI anu AudIlS.
BACK BAY CHANNEL.
The following petition was received and
ordered on file
To the Honorable Mayor and City Council of
Portland
Gentlemen The undersigned respectfully rep
resent that since the channel now being dredged
In Back Cove was located, the ownership of much
OF the flats has CHANGED hands, and are now held
by parties who desire TO improve the same
IL has become apparent to us that more room
will be required for railroad and other purposes
than can can be made available inside the chan
mel. large amount of additional room can be
obtained by moving the south line of said channel
northeriy zoo feet or more, without injury to any
one. This change WILL If madel add to the terri
tory OF Portland some ten acres of flats which can
be improved from time to time for commercial
body will take such action in the premises as NAV
seem proper in order TO obtain the change in the
line of the channel above referred to.
PORTLAND & ROCHESTER, RAILROAD
BY GEO. L. WEsCorT, President
Accompanying the petition was the follow
ing order, which was read:
whereas, since the adoption by the United
state OF plan for the improvement of the chan
mel IN Back Cove an interest has been developed
IN improving the adjacent lands and fats, to such
an extent that it has become apparent that more
room for railroad and other purposes will be re-
quired than was originally anticipated therefore.
ordered, that the Mayor be instructed, with the
approval Of the Back Bay Commission, to ccmmu-
nicate with the United States officer under whose
direction the work is being carried on and
through him to the chief of engineers and secreta-
ry OF war; asking that the channel now being ex-
cavated in Back Cove, after followlnglthe Harbor
commissioners line, as FIR as Smith street ex-
t eii may there change direction and follow
ed, but bordering the line on the northerly side
thereof instead of the southerly side. as at pres
ent contemplated. 1t lbeng desired that this
change in location of cuts now being dredeed
may be effected at this time in order that such
further action can be taken as may be found nee
esSary 10 legally locate the remainder of the chan
mel TO the nOrthward of the cut above described
and thus afford the additional room required be,
tween the channel when completed and the Mar
ginal Way.
Mr.. King of Ward inquired whether the
proposed change would have an, effect on
the contracts with Messrs. Moore and Wright
in regard to dredging and constructing the
Marginal Way.
Mr.. George p. Wescott, President of the
Portland & Rochester railroad, being pres
ent. was invited to explain the situation.
Mr.. Wescott said that in looking over the
ground for improving the flats it had been
found that under the present plan, if carried
out, they could not utilize the land for 200
feet, but by going out further they could
utilize it. The drift of the railroads, he
said, is to change to the back side of the city.
The Grand Trunk contemplates getting
through here to the Congress street station,
and the room asked for would be needed
more room to the extent of a strip 200 feet
wide, by this means giving chance for fu-
ture great enterprises should they come in.
The distance from Green street down was
about ten acres a strip 225 feet wide would
give IL or Is acres. At present the improve
ment would consist of flats utilized by
wharves, but in process of time and by the
expenditure Of plenty of money, the whole
would be built up solid and eventually
there would probably be solid
bulkhead constructed along the face of the
deep channel, instead of the:piling. The
change would give Portland so much more
iand; IL would not change the location of
to ask the secretary of war to allow the
dredging to be done on the northerly side.
MI Wescott said he had talked with Mr.
Moore, and the latter was willing to carry
out his contract according to the suggested
change. Mr.. Moore did not anticipate that
it would make the slightest change in the
character of his work, unless perhaps the
soil should turn out to be harder on the
north side. AT any rate the contract with
the city would not be affected in the least;
Mr.. Moore would carry it on at the same
price.
In answer to questions raised by Messrs.
Dewey, Trefethen, Kent, King and others,
Mr.. Wescott assured the council that the
city would simply acquire ten acres or more
OF additional territory without the expendi-
ture of cent. Nor was the move at all
likely to defeat the government contract; if
1t was the petitioners would not think of
asking for the passage of the order He had
consulted Major Smith about the matter, and
Major Smith thought the proposed change
desirable, and said he would do what he
could to help it along. Mr.. Wescott had
also conferred with the harbor commission
ers. and they said they would act fairly; they
would not oppose it. The Back Bay commits
sioners favored the change. The reason for
haste in acting in the matter was that the
dredging was now going forward rapidly on
the southerly side and would soon set across,
In regard to the objection that the filling
up OF portion of al natural channel might
interfere with the process of securing" the
harbor, Mr.. Wescott said the government en-
gineer had no fear on that score He came
before the city government with the knoWl-
edge and consent of the United States gov
eminent official and of the Back Bay com
mission. and the harbor commissioners did
not object, though the matter was not in
their province. 1t was necessary for the
city government to act so as to reach the
United States government officially All the
property owners concerned along the Back
Bay, in Portland and Deering, consent to the
change of location.
Mr.. King could see no reason why the or
der should not be passed, particularly when
It promised such advantages to the city of
Portland.
All tie councilmen were apparently of the
same mind, for, on motion of Mr.. Spring.
the order received unanimous passage.
Papers from the upper board passed in
concurrence.
Adjourned.